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Introduction: Self-rated health (SRH) is a relevant measure of health as it can predict morbidity, mortality and health-care use. Studies have shown an association between poor SRH and elevated levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines. It is therefore interesting to learn more about the association between asthma, a chronic inflammatory disease with a recognised systemic component and SRH. Objectives: To compare SRH ratings in respondents with and without current asthma. A second aim was to compare SRH with quality-of-life ratings in the same groups. Methods: In 1995, we randomly selected 8200 persons ≥18 years from the population of Stockholm County, Sweden and mailed them a questionnaire. A total of 5355 persons (67.5%) responded. Respondents were divided in two groups, those with and those without current asthma. The groups were further divided by sex and age (18–44 and ≥45 years). SRH was measured with the question ‘How do you rate your general health status?’ and quality of life with the Gothenburg Quality of Life Instrument and the Ladder of Life. Results: Respondents with asthma rated their health significantly worse than did those without asthma, except women aged 18–44 years. SRH was associated at least as strong as quality of life to asthma with the advantage of being easier to apply (only one item). Conclusion: Information on SRH is easy to obtain and represents an important dimension of health status that potentially can be used as a complement to identify patients who need extra attention to manage their asthma and its consequences. Please cite this paper as: Syk J, Alving K and Unden A-L. Association between self-rated health and asthma: a population-based study. Clin Respir J 2012; 6: 150–158.

Introduction: The influence of the degree of immunoglobulin E (IgE) sensitisation on the fraction of expired nitric oxide (FENO) in asthma patients being treated with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) is not well known. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between IgE sensitisation and FENO, and the effect of a step-up in ICS treatment on this relationship, in patients with allergic asthma. Methods: A primary health care centre recruited 20 non-smoking patients with perennial allergic asthma (18 years–50 years, six male) outside the pollen season. At every visit (0, 2, 4, 8 weeks), FENO was measured and an exposure questionnaire was completed. ICS dose was adjusted according to FENO (≥22 ppb prescribed increase in ICS). Quantitative analyses of serum IgE (eight common aeroallergens) confirmed allergy. Results: At baseline, FENO and the sum of IgE antibody titres for perennial allergens correlated significantly (r = 0.47, P = 0.04). After a step-up in ICS treatment, this correlation had disappeared. Nine patients had persistently elevated FENO at last visit (mean 35 ppb vs 16 ppb). This group was more frequently exposed to relevant allergens or colds (89% vs 27% of patients, P